Double-container, force-discharge, dispensing apparatus



June 94. 19215. 1,541,170

G. B. NlcHoLsoN DOUBLE CON-TAINER, FORCE DISCHARGE, DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 2, '1924 26- l 5&9. j

Patented June 9, 1925.

l 1,541,17 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE snaren mcnotsen, or rlrrssunsn, rEnNsYLvaNIA.

DOUBLE-CONTAINER, Fo-itcE-nrscr-IARGE, nIsrENsIivG ArPAnA'rus;

Application mea April 2, 1924. sei-iaiv No. 703,725.

To all whom I? may concern.'

Ee it known that I, GEORGE B. NICHOLSON, citizen 'of the Unitedl States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements' in a Double- Container, Force-Discharge, Dispensing Apparatus, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and more particularly to what is commonly known as a gasolinepump, the function of which is to dispense measured'quantities of fuel oil directly from lan underground tank into the fuel supply tanks of automobiles. s

It is a well knownfact that many gasoline stations or filling stations do an enormous business and serve hundreds of cars in the course of a day. Consequently the saving of only a minute or two vinV the dispensing of gasoline into each carrepresents, in the aggregate, a very considerable economy. Furthermore the motorist goes to the station where he has found by experience that he can be served without having to wait. 1t is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a dispensing apparatus of the above character which will accurately Iserve the desired quantity of gasoline to a waiting motor vehicle in the shortest-possible time'. i

Broadly stated the invention comprisesa pair Oftransparent containers and a pair' of pumps driven by a common motor, one ofl said pumps pumping the gasoline from the tank into the containers and the other ofv said pumps forcing the gasoline from said containers into the discharge hose of the apparatus; together with a four-way valve, so arranged that while the liquid is being pumped into one of said receptacles it is being discharged from the other of said receptacles and vice versa.

Thus the apparatus has a two fold advantage, in that it is not necessary for the operator to wait for the receptacle to ll before the patron can be served, but on the contrary one of the receptacles is filled during the time that the other is being emptied and that the operator does not have to wait for the relatively slow discharge of the gaso-V line from the discharging receptacle under the influence of gravity, but that upon the contrary, the liquid is forced out very rapidly under the positive action of the pump provided foi` that purpose.

'Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.l

1n the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 isa view in elevationfof a pump constructed in accordance with the invention, with a vpart of the overflow: compartment in section and Fig. 2 is a sectional view through a way valve, hereinafter described. Like numerals designate corresponding parts in both of the gures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a casing-the front of which is closed by a'door 6,y when the apparatus is not in use. The storage tank for thega'solinel is indicated at 7 and alsuction pipeS leads from this storage tank to the casing of a pump 9. A discharge pipe 10 leads from the casing of the pump 9 to the casing 11 of a four-way valve 12'. A pipe 13 'leads' from the casing of the four-way valve to the bottom of a transparent container 14. A's'econd'pipe 15 leads from the 'casing of the four-way valve, to the casing 16 of aV second centrifugal pump. A discharge pipe 17 leading from the casing four- `of the centrifugal pump 16 terminates in a dispensing hose 18. A pipe 19 leads from the casing of, the four-way valve to the bottom `of a second transparent container 20. The upper end of the transparent'containers are in communication withr an overflow compartment 21 from which an .overflow pipe 22 leads back' to the storage tanki?. nection 23 between the discharge pipe 10 of the pump 9l Vand' the overilow pipe; 22 has a safety-valve, 24, disposed therein which opens from the pipe 10 toward the pipe 22, whenever the pressure in pipe 10 exceeds the pressure for which the valve 24 is set. The pumps 9 and 16 are driven from a common motor 25 by means of the belts 26 and 27, respectively. A dome 28 which surmounts the structure may be of translucent or transparent material and contain an illuminating means such as an incandescent lamp, not shown, this method of illuminating pumps of this character being well known in the art.

The four-way valve 12 has ports 12a and 12b formed therein and this valve may be shifted by means of a crank 29 and the gearing 30 and 30a, the gear 30 being upon the stem of the valve 12, with the valve in the A conposition illustrated in Fig. 2. Communication is established between pipes 10 and 13, and with the motor in operation gasoline will be discharged from pump 9 through pipe 10, port 12a and pipe 13 into receptacle 14. Accurate measurement is assured by reason of the fact that when the determined quantity of gasoline has entered said receptacle any additional gasoline will overflow through pipe 22 and return to tank 7.

ln the time that the receptacle 14 is being filled the gasoline will be forcibly discharged from the receptacle 2O through pipe 19, port 12b, pipe 15, pump 16, discharge pipe 17 and dispensing hose 18. As soon as the receptacle 2O is emptied additional quantities of gasoline may be immediately discharged through the dispensing hose by merely shifting the valve 12 to its other position, or to a Iposition where the port 12 establishes communication between the pipes 13 and 15 and the port 12b establishes communication between the pipes 10 and 19. At this time the incoming gasoline through pipe 10 will flow through pipe 19 into the receptacle 20 and the gasoline with which the receptacle 14 is filled will flow from said receptacle through the pipe 13, port 12a, pipe 15 and pump 16 to the dispensing hose 18.

Thus it is manifest that no time whatever is lost and that one charge after another of fuel oil may be dispensed by the apparatus with great rapidity, due to the fact that it is being forcibly expelled from the apparatus rather than iiowing therefrom by gravity, and that the income and outgo of fuel are in determinate relation since the 4two pumps are operated in unison and at like rates of speed since they are actuated from a common source of power.

To prevent the gasoline which flows out of the top of one receptacle and into the overiiow pipe finding its way into the top of the companion receptacle, baffle plates 31 and 32 are provided which bring the effective tops of the receptacle above the level of the mouth of the overflow pipe.

1t is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview Whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is: Y

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of dispensing receptacles, means for lilling one while emptying the other and power means for discharging the contents of said receptacles.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of receptacles and a pair of pumps and means for driving said pumps in unison, one of said pumps serving to` alternately discharge the contents of the receptacles and the other of said pumps serving to alternately force the material to be dispensed into' said receptacles.

3. 'device of the character described comprising a pair of receptacles, an overflow pipe common to both of said receptacles, a supply pump, a discharge pipe and a suction pipe 'for said supply pump, a four-Way valve casing into which said supply pipe leads, pipes leading from said valve casing to the bottom of each of said receptacles, a discharge pump, a pipe leading from the casing of the four-way valve to said discharge pump, a dispensing pipe 'leading from the discharge pump, a four-way valve having ports formed therein adapted to alternately connect each container with the pipe leading to the supply pump and the pipe leading to the discharge pump and vice versa.

.4. A structure as recited in claim 3 in combination with a common motor for driving said pumps and connections leading from -said I notor to said pump, for driving them in unison.

5. A structure as recited in claim 3 in combination with a connection between the supply pipe and the overflow pipe, and a relief valve therein opening toward the overflow pipe.

1n testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

GEORGE BURTON NICHOLSON. 

